How to deal with a colleague's low morale due to not being involved in a company event

[HannahP2024]

What would be a fair resolution here so everyone is happy?

Our company holds celebrations in October (last Friday, 18th), as profits exceed the target for the year by Quarter 3, and so a celebration is held, to thank the staff for their hard work, and an event everyone looks forward to.

I, and another colleague are in charge of organizing this event. Year on year there is a pretty consistent attendance of 75%, as not everyone is interested, so a suitable venue is chosen for this number. This year it was oversubscribed and so a handful of people were on a wait-list for a month. The day before the party everyone was eventually given a space. Unfortunately someone missed out saying it was too little notice, and was upset about being made to wait a month on a wait list and then missing out, especially when all other colleagues are talking about what a great event it was.

Is she justified in making a complaint? I have told her that she was eventually given a space, which she rejected, and no company policies were broken in the way it was organised, and that she should accept that, and maybe she will be able to attend next year. I would like advice on how one should resolve this issue, or leave it as it is, as this is not the company's fault she couldn't attend last minute. Thanks

How was it decided who went on the waiting list?

If she was do keen to go why didn't she keep the time free and make sure she could go if there was a space?

Does she have an issue with how it was decided who went on the waiting list?

I would be pissed off if my employer held a celebration to thank staff, but didn't accommodate all the staff who wanted to attend.

A last minute 'wait list' space wouldn't give me the impression my contribution was valued.

If you are going to do it, make sure there is space for everyone.

Was it first come first serve for signing up? That’s how ours work. Unless she’s got a good reason for signing up late and a good reason for not keeping the time free I have little sympathy. Is she by any chance anyways a moaner?

The day before the party is really rubbish. That leaves no time to sort childcare and logistics - and in reality, it’s like being a back-up guest at a wedding. It doesn’t suggest you’re wanted there, particularly; but that there is space.

Utterly ridiculous of the employer to hold an event and not expect to accommodate every single employee!

Ask her what she’d would like you to do to help her feel better.

I agree.
i understand that you don’t get 100% attendance but you need to make sure that it is a possibility if it happens.

I think it’s pretty shitty to hold an event that can’t accommodate all employees in the first place to be honest. No wonder morale is low and you’re planning the same approach next year!

100% this!

I think that's a really shitty thing to do - it's irrelevant that attendance is usually 75% - an event to say thank you to staff should be able to accommodate everyone.

I'm not surprised she's unhappy. Why should she be thankful to be given space the day before?

Regardless of policies, it sucks to be made to feel like a second class citizen and be kept waiting on the sidelines like that. How was it decided who was on the waitlist?

I don't think you mention actually apologising to her? Maybe she simply needs acknowledgement that this sucked for her and you are sorry? And in future I would not book a venue that can't cope with the right numbers. The whole point of the event is as a morale-boosting reward, but you book something that is divisive and leads to a sucky experience for some of the employees who are deserving the reward?

Did you try to book a different venue as soon as it was clear it was oversubscribed? How hard did you try to include everybody?

I'd start by accepting that you mismanaged the event, and apologising and acknowledging her feelings.... I would also see if there is budget left (or try to find it) to give her some other reward/ acknowledgement. Then go from there.

Very poor from the employer.

All who want to go should be able to go.

Does the work of the people on the wait list not matter?

Utterly bizarre to book an event that can't accommodate everyone that is invited. This situation was inevitable really.

I would be feeling upset if I was in her shoes too. You've organised a big party, she's not invited, and has excluded, lots of her colleagues talking about it, she's missing out and very much a second thought on the waiting list. I actually think it's a really shitty thing to do to someone

What can you do? Apologise, recognise her upset, say you're reconsidering the event for next year to invite everyone and send her a big bunch of flowers

Yes this seems odd. You get numbers first then lock in the venue.

Blimey.

I’d absolutely be looking for another job in this scenario. I wouldn’t bale without a job to go to but it’s indicative of a company that pays lip-service to thanking its staff and as such, not a place at which I’d want to stay.

Book a venue that can accommodate 100% of the company. Awfully mismanaged event.

Is she justified in making a complaint? I have told her that she was eventually given a space, which she rejected, and no company policies were broken in the way it was organised, and that she should accept that

This is pretty . I think she could complain about the event so take care not to overstep here. You can't tell others what they 'should accept'.

Imagine the event was a wedding. We all know that not everyone accepts an invite but imagine inviting 100 people to a venue that only holds 80 and the last 20 to rsvp will be told they are now on a wait list.

@MabelMora Unfortunately first come first served for spaces, and she was on annual leave that day when all spaces got filled up. :-(

I think it is awful to hold a celebration event that risks not being able to accommodate all staff, resulting in demotivating staff and achieving the opposite of what the event is meant to do.

How should you handle it - acknowledge her feelings, apologise sincerely, tell her you recognise you/the company got it wrong and future events will be organised with enough flexibility to ensure all who wish to attend can.

You needed to make sure that everyone who possibly wanted to go had a proper space.

How was the waiting list decided?

I'm guessing she does not feel valued at all.

I'm not surprised she's pissed off, this has been very badly mis-handled. You can't make an event like this first come first served, put people on waitlists then only upgrade them the day before when they have no time to make arrangements. You need to apologise profusely, make her feel valued in other ways and organise it better next year.

The first response has posed the question that OP should be asking of herself and the other organiser.

I'll bet senior staff and popular or influential members of staff aren't put on the waiting list.

I don’t understand this party. Everyone got a space in the end? How? Why? Huh?

Organising these things is always a pain the arse.

There will often be a finite number of spots. Especially if attendance is usually 75%.

As long as the waitlist was done fairly, I don’t see the big issue with this. She knew she was on the waitlist. She knew she could get a spot at any point. Getting to know the day before is a bit crap, but she was aware it could happen.

Let her put in a complaint. Maybe next year the company will be happy paying for enough spots for everyone, even though the places won’t be used. So essentially a waste of money. But that will be the outcome.